Waterway Junction Magdeburg

An old dream has come true. The first idea to establish a connection between the eastern and western waterways was already thought of in 1877. 60 years later a makeshift solution was provided by building a ship lift and plans were hatched to construct a canal bridge across the river Elbe which is often very shallow during low tides.  Another 66 years passed before the longstanding and heartfelt wish was finally fulfilled.  On 10th October 2003 the gigantic Waterway Junction Magdeburg was inaugurated and put into operation. It is considered a technical masterpiece of the century and with its completion another tourist attraction was added to the capital city of Saxony-Anhalt. In fact, the new attraction has been perfectly integrated into the "Blue Ribbon of the River Elbe" project, this year’s major promotional campaign to entice many national and international visitors and active water fans to the region as well as to Magdeburg, the Cathedral City on the banks of the river Elbe. 

For the business location Magdeburg, a connection to the state-of-the-art waterway junction provides - in addition to being one of the tourist highlights - an excellent opportunity to strengthen the role of the domestic port as a traditional transshipment port of the capital city.